Prisoner of war camp libraries

During World War One, some South Australians overseas contributed to the war effort. For three years Miss Kilmeny Symon (1885-1969) was in charge of The Camps Library in London providing reading for prisoners of war, mainly in Germany. Requests arrived for books that were 'helpful and amusing' or on specific topics such as pig breeding.

One of the letters Miss Symon received was from a camp at Lager Lechfeld which was a large camp with different sections for the different Allied nationalities. British prisoners were lucky compared to the Russians and Serbians, as they received occasional parcels from the British Red Cross. The letter from Dean in part reads:

I cannot sufficiently state how great was my pleasure, and that of my comrades, to receive the jolly parcel of books you so kindly sent me. I am an old book-worm, and you can imagine my sense of loss and intellectual hunger at being deprived for so long of mental food, and I have a ravenous appetite, I may tell you. Your selection was most happy, appealing to all tastes. If it is possible I would dearly love a few technical books on music, Emerson's 'Essays', O.W. Holmes's 'Breakfast table' series, volumes of Browning, Rossetti, Emily Bronte ...The books arrived in good condition, ten in all. Thanking you again, and in pleasurable anticipation of receiving another selection from you.

Yours gratefully
E.B Dean
2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Lager Lechfeld
Bavaria, Germany

Having previously worked for the Belgian relief effort, Miss Symon's name was mentioned in the British War Office for her valuable service, and later in her life she was awarded an M.B.E.

The Advertiser of Thursday 21 November 1918, page 8 reported that: "In the Times of September 10 the name of Miss Kilmeny Symon appears amongst the Unit of Mention by the War Office under direction of the Secretary of State for War, 'for valuable services rendered in connection with the establishment and maintenance of societies, organisations, and institutions for the benefit of the naval and military forces." For three years Miss Symon has been in charge of The Camps Library" entrusted with the duty of providing books and literature generally for the British prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy. Miss Symon was previously doing Belgian relief work.'

Lesley Kilmeny Symon was one of five bookish daughters of South Australian politician, lawyer and Federationist Sir Josiah Symon, who amassed a 'gentleman's library' of some 10,000 volumes. He bequeathed his collection, other than the legal books which went to the University of Adelaide, to the State Library of South Australia, where they are housed in a separate room with some of the original furniture and shelving of Sir Josiah's library at Manoah, Upper Sturt.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

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